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Gilbert Melendez signed with UFC last week, but he wasn’t far off of leaving the company when Bellator came to the door with the proverbial bouquet of roses and expensive chocolates.

“My team (Creative Artists Agency) decided to pursue and explore options when we weren’t completely satisfied with the UFC,” he told Shoot Media. “(My team) spoke with Bellator and they had some good dialogue and showed a lot of interest in me.”

Melandez considered the offer from Bellator, but the UFC had the right to match and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta dropped in to deliver what Melendez wanted.

By the sound of it, what he wanted was promotion.

“There is no secret the biggest platform for MMA is the UFC.” he said. “The things the UFC has to offer, no one can ever match. They are the mecca of MMA organizations.”

RAMPAGE GOES ON RAMPAGE

After Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (34-11, 2-0 Bellator) took down Christian M’Pumba (18-6-1, 3-3 Bellator) via knockout in the semifinal of the Bellator season 10 light-heavyweight division, King “Mo” Lawal (12-3, 4-2 Bellator) came into the cage to confront Jackson and “Rampage” verbally tore Lawal to shreds.

The rant was eerily reminiscent of a WWE theatrical production, but it was highly entertaining. It will no doubt sell tickets and glue eyeballs to the small screen when Jackson fights Lawal for the tournament championship, with the winner getting a poke at world champ Attila Vegh.

“These guys that think I’m finished, they said they were going to retire me, I took that personal,” Jackson said to Lawal and his crew.

“Bellator, you all don’t know what you’re messing with. I am a monster and I’m taking everybody out. Anybody who steps in this cage, they’re going to sleep. ‘You, you next, you next, you next’ he screamed and pointed at Lawal while held back by security officials. “I am the man of Bellator now.”

The Jackson-M’Pumba fight drew 1.1 million viewers, according to Spike TV.

ROGAN RUMOURS

Friend of UFC Joe Rogan was on KROQ in Los Angeles on Friday and he lightly brushed off a comment there were no fighters remaining who could give Ronda Rousey a legitimate fight.

“Oh, you’re so incorrect,” Rogan teased. “I wish I could tell you what I know. I wish I could tell you. I know some secret stuff. I know some secret stuff but I can’t tell you.”

“I can say no more than I’ve already said. I will tell you this … within the next probably week or so a huge announcement will come about women’s fighting … it’s going to be crazy, madness.”

Fast forward a few days and the rumour floating around has Rousey fighting anybody from Gina Carano to Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino, or former boxer Holly Holm, who’s been in MMA for a while and has a undefeated record.

The fight could happen on the July 4 UFC card.

It should be noted that neither Cyborg or Holm have signed with the UFC and that could prove problematic. But Rousey further sent the rumour mill into a tizzy,

Somehow, Daniel Cormier thought his win over Patrick Cummins at UFC 170 took on greater significance than it actually did — and he’s looking to build on his victory over the last-minute replacement for Rashad Evans.

Cormier heard Jon Jones has the ability to say who he wants to fight and Cormier sent out a message through FOX Sports saying he wanted a crack at the UFC light-heavyweight champ.

“Hey, Jon, this is Daniel Cormier,” he said. “I’m asking nicely. I’m not aggressive and I’m not confrontational (but) I’m just asking would you be willing to give me a chance to fight you?”

Jones was respectful but sharp and frank in his reply.

“First and foremost, since you’re speaking more respectfully, I’ll say congratulations on your victory and your weight loss,” he said. “But as far as giving you a title shot I have no interest in fighting you right now only because of the fact you haven’t fought anyone I consider a top-level fighter … fight against Evans, fight against somebody legit. Then I think it would be a little more appropriate to give you that title shot.”

A SAD END

Booto Guylian, an Extreme Fighting Championship Africa middleweight fighter, died Wednesday morning after suffering a serious head injury during a Feb. 27 EFC Africa 27 bout in Johannesburg, South Africa. After the fight, he was immediately “stabilized by the on site medical team and transported to hospital where he was treated for swelling and bleeding on the brain” the EFC website said.

QUICK HITS

Mac Danzig is retiring after 12 years as a professional fighter. Danzig (21-12-1 MMA, 5-8 UFC), who is best known for his win in The Ultimate Fighter 6, said the decision came down to his own potential health concerns going forward as well as the need to care for his five-year-old daughter. “As a parent I must take into consideration how important my sustained brain function is and how tragic it would be to have Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s,” he said. the past year.” ... Brazilian-based Gringo Super Fight announced a rematch eight years after the first epic battle at Cage Rage 15 in London between Melvin Manhoef (27-11-1) and Evangelista Santos (19-15-0). The two will battle on April 15 in Rio de Janeiro for the vacant welterweight championship.

UFC signs Gilbert Melendez after Bellator makes a pitch

Gilbert Melendez signed with UFC last week, but he wasn’t far off of leaving the company when Bellator came to the door with the proverbial bouquet of roses and expensive chocolates.

“My team (Creative Artists Agency) decided to pursue and explore options when we weren’t completely satisfied with the UFC,” he told Shoot Media. “(My team) spoke with Bellator and they had some good dialogue and showed a lot of interest in me.”

Melandez considered the offer from Bellator, but the UFC had the right to match and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta dropped in to deliver what Melendez wanted.

By the sound of it, what he wanted was promotion.

“There is no secret the biggest platform for MMA is the UFC.” he said. “The things the UFC has to offer, no one can ever match. They are the mecca of MMA organizations.”